Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-09-22
A eAeY GIRLS FRANKS.
How She " on the Hearts OF the Occupant
OF a Railway Car.

How She " on the Hearts OF the Occupants
OF a Railway Car.
There was a baby in the railway car
the other day. 1t was not an unusual
child. but it had decidedly bright
face and pretty ways. For the first
few miles she was very quiet, and her
blue eyes looked about in wOnderment.
for evidently it was the little ones first
ride in the ears. Then, as she became
used to the roar and rumble, the baby
proclivities asserted themselves, and
she began to play with her father 3
mustache. AT first the father and
mother were the only parties inter-
ested. but soon ayOung lady in an adj
jacent seat nudged her escort and di-
rected his attention to the laughing
child. He looked up, remarked that it
was pretty babv and tried to look I'M
concerned, but il was noticed that his
syes wandered back to the spot occu-
pied by the happy family, and he com
menced to smile. The baby pulled the
hair of the old maid in front, who
turned around savagely and glared at
the father with look that plainly said:
''Nuisances should be left at home"
But she caught sight of the laughing
black eyes of the baby, and when she
turned back her face had lost the an
gular, strained look of disappointment,
and she seemed pleased about some
thing. Several others had become in
terested in the child by this time. bust
ness men and young clerks, old ladies
and girls. and when the baby hands
grasped the large silk hat of her father
and placed it on her own head, it made
such Il comical picture that an old gen
tleman across the way, unable to re-
strain himself, burst into a loud guf-
faw, and then looked sheepishly out of
the window. as if ashamed to be caught
doing such an unmanly thing. Before
another five minutes he was playing
peek-a-boo across the aisle with the
baby, and every one was envying him.
The ubiquitous young man, ever on
the move, passed through, but he was
at loss to account for the frowns of
every body. He had failed to notice
the baby, which every one was now in
terested in. The brakeman looked in
from his post on the platform and
smiled. The paper boy found no Gus
tom till he had spoken to the baby and
jingled his pocket of change for her
editication. The conductor caught the
fever and chucked the little one under
the chin. while the old gentleman
across the aisle forgot to pass up his
ticket, so interested was he in playing
'peek-a-boo. The old maid in front re-
Taxed, and diving into her reticule I'M
earthed brilliant red pippin and pre-
scented it bashfully to the little one,
who, in response, put her chubby arms
around the donors neck and pressed
her rosy little mouth to the old maid
cheek.
1t brought back flood of remem-
ORANGES to that withered heart, and Il
handkerchief was seen to brush first
this way and then that. as if to catch a
falling tear. The train sped on and
pulled into the station where the baby,
with her parents, was to leave the car.
A look of regret came over every face.
The old gentleman asked if he couldn't
kiss it just once. the old maid returned
the caress she had received, and the
baby moved toward the door, shaking
by-by over the shoulder of her papa,
to which every one responded, includ-
ing the newsboy, who emphasized his
farewell with wave of his hat. The
passengers rushed to the side where the
baby got off. and watched till she
turned out of sight ut the other end OF
the station, shaking by-bys all the
time. They lapsed into silence.
They missed that baby, and not one
of them would be unwilling to ac-
knowledge it. The little ones pres
ence had let a rift of sunshine into
every heart, warm or cold, in that car.
Business men had forgotten for Il while
their schemes for the day, the girls had
omitted to follow up their train OF
thoughts abont that new dress and the
fellows had left off thoughts of base
ball. and looked into the future when
they would call a sweet girl of their
acquaintance ''wife," and perhaps have
just such a little piece of sunshine
playing on their knee. Every body
was better for the presence of that
baby. and its happy face was pictured
in mary thoughts that day as men
pored over columns of figures OF
talked abstractedly of stocks and Sc
curities.-Neac6uryport (Mass.J NcOs
Yankee Shrewdness.
A Northern shoe merchant set Up